


Free-Fall

by seasaltmemories



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Canon Compliant, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:26:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24324256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasaltmemories/pseuds/seasaltmemories
Summary: Ren and Akechi try to learn to land with grace, Third Semester spoilers
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 9
Kudos: 70





	Free-Fall

As Morgana’s footsteps began to fade away, Ren couldn’t decide if he welcomed the privacy or not.

Akechi stood besides LeBlanc’s counter, with that same taut expression that he had taken up as his latest disguise. Ever since he started wearing it, Ren had wanted to watch what would happen if all that tension came undone–if he could pull back the lines of Akechi’s face like a bowstring and see what he would fire. Akechi’s sudden appearance Christmas Eve had felt like another game of his, a mystery he planned purely so he could solve it in front of Ren’s eyes with that smug grin of his. As important as dealing with Maruki’s palace was, a small part of Ren had hoped he could also use some of the preparation time to rip off the mask and finally meet his murderer eye to eye.

But right now, as Maruki’s word rang around in his head, it was all Ren could do to keep from being the one who went off. No matter how many times it happened, he could never get used to that feeling of being caught off guard. It reminded him too much of the sensation of falling. Even in the best of cases, even when he had willingly threw himself out a casino window, free-fall meant you were placing your life in fate’s hands. Being a Phantom Thief was all about trying to at least control your descent.

Akechi shot him a glance, red-wine eyes effortlessly pinning him back to Earth. Ren realized he should probably say something at least, but when he opened his mouth, no words came to him. So instead he stood, hoping to give himself more time to conjure up some level of coherency.

“I will carve my own path for myself.” Akechi broke the silence. “I refuse to accept a reality concocted by someone else, stuck under their control for the rest of my days.”

They were awfully pretty words; when Ren had first woken up in this dreamlike world, he had come to a similar sentiment almost immediately. Yet it was hard to muster that same adolescent rebellion now that the cost of such a choice was staring at him right in the face.

“All you have to do is stick to your guns and challenge Maruki.” Akechi’s voice dropped to a low growl. “Or are you really so spineless that you’d fold over some bullshit, trivial threat on my life?”

He’s baiting him. It was obvious; Akechi always brought out that sorta of crass venom when he he wanted to destroy any trace of the Detective Prince, any semblance of camaraderie, but as much as Ren knew so, it was easier to fight with Akechi than be honest.

“Do you get so sick satisfaction from all this?” He nearly didn’t recognize his own voice at first, but after holding his tongue for so long, he didn’t have the strength to control his temper. “I’ve never seen such suicidal spite in my entire life.”

“What makes you think I’m doing this for you and your hero complex?” His words came out level and smooth, but their controlled nature did little to mask the edge in his voice. “Do you think I would be happy with this? Being shown mercy now, of all times?”

Ren could feel a similar sharpness building in his own throat. If they were both pulling out their knives, then he might as well go ahead and twist it. “I’ve never seem anyone quite so pathetic.”

Akechi froze. Then something dangerous flickered in his eyes. When he raised his hand to strike, Ren let himself be hit.

As pain blossomed across his cheek, Ren tried to memorize the sensation. If he couldn’t remember Akechi’s genuine attempt on his life, maybe this would remind him that there were better targets of sympathy than his would-be murderer. Yet even as focused on the sting, another part of himself raged at the notion of just standing by when anyone was suffering unnecessarily. (A third, small, unnamed voice inside of Ren whispered that Akechi was not just any one.)

“Your indecisiveness on the matter is essential a betrayal of my wishes.” Akechi murmured in a shuddering breath. And maybe Akechi was right about Ren’s hero complex, because in that moment, hearing such distress nearly cut him right in two. Yet before he could get lost in the sentiment, he remembered what exactly it was he was being asked to do.

In a compromise of sorts, too tired to fight yet too tired to put away his weapons, he reached forward until his hand wrapped around Akechi’s neck. Ren’s grip was loose, but with just the right amount of pressure he could strangle him with ease. Yet despite the precarious position, Akechi only stared at him with cool regard.

“Do you want to die?” It felt distasteful to actually voice the question, but it was conclusion Ren could craft together with what little material Akechi had given him. “Is that the only way you’re ever going to be happy?”

It occurred to Ren this might be how Maruki saw them: a pair of drowning men who preferred to pull each other under rather than be saved.

Yet for whatever vulnerabilities Ren had managed to rip from the two of them, Akechi put on that distant mask without a second thought. “I want to hear you say it aloud. What do you intend to do?”

If he was going to lose Akechi no matter what, it might be better to go ahead and rip off the band-aid himself.

Ren grabbed Akechi by his collar and smashed their mouths together. The kiss was far from whatever he had imagined it to be. Their teeth clanked together, Akechi barely reacted with much more than numb shock, but when Ren pulled away, he felt some sort of closure he hadn’t since back in November.

“I’ll leave the decision up to you.” Ren shifted his weight so that at least they could fall together.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically my attempt to get my complex feelings about these two out, as i see a lot of their dynamic as Joker being frustrated at what a little bitch Akechi can be while still unwillingly enamored


End file.
